Camp Cooking #2: Jalapeno Poppers

I love spicy foods - and if they're quick and fun and easy to throw on the grill, it's even better!  From the Camp Kitchen, here's recipe #2 - Grilled Jalapeno Poppers!

First, gather the ingredients:

Jalapenos

Bacon

Cream Cheese

Tooth Picks, a sharp knife, and tongs

 

First up, wash your peppers (I know, that's a given).  Then, slice each one in half length-wise and core out your seeds, making it into a little boat.  I try to leave the stems in tact so that you have something to grasp when you're devouring them.



 

Next up, slather in the cream cheese.  Honestly, the best version of these is made with pineapple cream cheese - you can buy it premade, but if you want to go a step further, take plain cream cheese and mix in a can of (drained) crushed pineapple. Trust me, the sweet-spicy combo is amazing!

 

 

This step takes both hands (sorry, no in-process photo).  Take a single piece of bacon and wrap it around the cream-cheese-jalapeno-boat and secure with toothpicks.  I recommend soaking the toothpicks in water first (while you're prepping everything else) so that they don't burn when you put them on the grill.   We prefer turkey bacon, as it cuts down on a lot of the fat but still gives a great taste.  Maple or smoked bacon is another great flavor enhancer here, too.

 

 

And now - grill!!  Give them about 5 minutes on one side, then use your tongs to flip them over - give another 4-5 minutes there.  Remember, if you're using pork bacon, you want to ensure the bacon is fully cooked before consuming.  (BTW - I tried this with skewers once before - 4 poppers on 1 rod - but they don't turn so well.  RDB said: why mess with a good thing?)

 

 

Once the bacon has a lovely set of grill marks, and the cream cheese is bubbly and hot, pull them off the grill and enjoy!  These are a great appetizer, or a wonderful light main course - which ever way you serve them - they sure won't last for long!